


the aftermath of loving

by honey_sweet



Series: kuroo tetsurou vs. adulthood [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Cooking, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, kuroo is the science man, mentions of adoption, science talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:28:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27405808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honey_sweet/pseuds/honey_sweet
Summary: kuroo thought he had dealt with his heartbreak, and a certain sight makes him believe he could try again.*sequel to ''a moment's silence''
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader
Series: kuroo tetsurou vs. adulthood [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002159
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	the aftermath of loving

**Author's Note:**

> you could theoretically read this without reading the prequel but it would enhance the background if you read a moment's silence first
> 
> or don't. it's not like i can force you

The sounds of tiny feet echoed around the small townhouse on the outskirts of Tokyo. They were usually preceded by tiny giggles and that was when you knew that trouble was afoot.  
A tiny dark haired whirling dervish shot into the living room - devil grin and laughter chapped cheeks. She laughed, crashing into the coffee table and launching her tiny toddler body onto the sofa beside you.

“You’re a real little monster aren’t you?” You laughed, reaching over to tickle the child’s exposed feet.  
She laughed and squealed, filling the empty rooms with joy. You smiled at her, releasing the child. She rolled over onto her belly and pushed ragged hairs from her eyes.

“Aren’t you supposed to be all tired out by now?”

“Nope!” She declared with a grin.

“Well. You can help me with food, Yumina.” You stepped up from the sofa, laughing at how the little child groaned for a moment about how _tired_ she was and how she couldn’t _possibly_ help - but she eventually followed you into the kitchen out of curiosity.

“What ‘cha cooking?” She asked, standing on her tiptoes to peer at the chopping board.

“Stir fry - go wash your hands and I’ll show you how.”  
The toddler hopped onto the stool beside the sink, sloshing water around as she attempted to clean her hands.

She silently watched you dice chicken and toss the gristle into the bin - occasionally asking questions about what you were doing.

“Where did you learn to cook?” She asked, eyes owlishly wide as she watched you turn the gas stove on.

“I taught myself,” You grinned, turning around with the spatula in hand. “This is my stir fry recipe - you won’t get this in any restaurant.”

“Woah - so it’s like ... secret?” She gasped.

“Oh yeah. Top secret.” You nodded with a theatrically grave expression. She grasped the severity of the stir fry situation.

“I won’t tell anybody!”

“Good - or I’d have to tickle you. And we know you hate that.”

You turned on your phone and set it on the counter to play music while you cooked.

“This is terrible.”

“Thank you.” You sighed, smiling.

“Why would you listen to this?”

“Because apparently I make poor decisions.”  
She wasn’t old enough to understand that joke yet, but she would at some point.

“Can you pass me the cajun powder?” You asked.  
It took a minute for the tiny hands to find the right glass jar and the wide eyes to read the proper label, but it was eventually in your hand.

“Is it cooked yet?” She sighed, tiny and impatient.

“Not yet - look. The chicken is still pink. That means it isn’t cooked yet.” You said, holding out a piece of steaming chicken on a fork.

“It changes colour!” She declared loudly, grinning. He face dropped momentarily. “But sometimes my daddy eats pink meat...”

“Ah - that’s steak. See... You can eat steak like that. But not chicken because it’ll make you sick.” You turned the stove down and diced vegetables next to the pan.

“Why can you eat steak when it’s pink but not chicken?”

“Because steak is too dense for the bacteria that make you sick to get through.” You explained, tossing diced onion into the pan of slowly browning seasoned meat.

“What does dense mean?” You were just about to answer when the front door opened.

“Just the man I need. Come on science man, explain density to us.” You smiled as Kuroo stepped through the door and slipped his shoes off.  
He glanced up from kicking off his shoes and smiled down the hallway at you. It was _almost_ imperceptible but you noticed his expression falter for just a moment. From where he stood at the end of the hallway, the tiny, dark haired girl sitting on the counter next to you looked like she could be his daughter. The thought of it hurt a little to think about. The sight of you and his daughter spending time together was a sight he wished he could come home to every day - but he knew why it wasn't a reality. You gestured for him to come over to the kitchen and he dropped his bag in the hallway and loosened his tie as he walked towards you two.

"You need my expertise?" He grinned, leaning over to kiss you on the cheek. "Smells good." He added as he poked his head over your shoulder to look into the pan.

"It's stir fry! I'm helping!" Yumina grinned.

"Oh are you really? Now what's this about density?" Kuroo asked, turning to face the toddler and folding his arms. If you didn't know that he worked in a lab you'd have thought he had the perfect demeanour to be a science teacher.

"What does it mean?"

"Come with me - I'll teach you _all_ about science." He smiled, lifting the child off the counter by her armpits and carrying her to the living room to sit on the sofa. "So... first you need to know about particles-" His voice drifted off as he rounded the corner from the kitchen to the living room and the sound of the stove and your music drowned their conversation out. That poor child would be bored out of her mind in the next five minutes - she was so out of her depth with Kuroo when he was in science mode. You smiled as you thought about how you'd get a passive aggressive 'Thank You' message from Keiji later for letting your husband teach his child inane science facts. Oh well, Keiji deserved it for making you watch his daughter on your Friday evening while he and Bokuto went for a posh anniversary meal.

***

You sat on the sofa, feet propped on the coffee table with a book in your hand. A snoring Yumina was laying sprawled across your lap, tangled in the blanket you had laid over her earlier. You craned your neck to look at the clock out in the kitchen. They should be back any minute now.

"What we reading?" Kuroo asked, stepping over your legs to sit on the other end of the sofa. He'd changed out of his work clothes and was lounging in a pair of slacks and a workout shirt that you'd been insisting he wash but he was staunchly refusing to.

"An insight into the developments of cognitive neuroplasticity," You say, not even looking up from your book. Your hand lifted from Yumina's head breifly to turn the page before resuming the pattern of stroking her hair.

Your husband scoffed as he leaned his elbow on the arm of the sofa. "And you call _me_ a nerd?"

"Which one of us started an argument in a shop because the staff had mislabled the DHA in the supplement isle?" You answered, not looking at him.

"Which one of us is reading about _neuroplasticity_ for fun on a friday night?" He retorted, sticking his tongue out at you childishly. He tucked his feet under the edge of the blanket draped off the sofa and settled against the fabric. He had closed his eyes for less than a minute before there was a knock at the door. "I swear to god Keiji." He mumbled, standing up to go answer the door.

He swung it open to find Bokuto and Akaashi standing in the doorway, huddled under the porch light. They were dressed formally, clearly on their way back from the restaurant. "Evening." Kuroo sighed, waving his hand around non-commitally and stepping aside to let the two in. They brought a cold draft of air in from the outside November night.

"How was everything?" Akaashi asked, rubbing his hands together in the warmth of the hallway.

Kuroo shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh - you know... we cooked..." He trailed off.

"You started talking science again didn't you?"

"Okay only a little bit though."

Keiji raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to start asking Hinata to watch her instead of you two. No wonder you married her - all you two do is talk science.” 

"You wouldn't do that, Shoyo gives her cheesecake for dinner and then you can never get her to bed," You say, coming out of the living room and placing your book on the shelf in the hallway. A small blanket-clad form waddled out of the room behind you, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Hey hey hey - there's my girl." Bokuto grinned as he reached down to pick her up. She was mumbling something incoherent against his neck as Bokuto rocked her side to side on his hip.

"Thank you, I know it was short notice." Keiji said as he handed your blanket back to you and turned to usher Bokuto and their once more sleeping daughter out of the door.

You waved your hand dismissively at him, "I wasn't busy anyway- it's fine."

"No - she really wasn't. I just walked in and she's reading a novel about contemporary research into neuropla-" Kuroo piped up, nudging you.

"Kuroo, say one more thing to do with science, and I swear I will end you." Keiji sighed apathetically with his palm outstretched to interrupt.

Kuroo placed his hands on his hips and pressed his lips into a straight line. He nodded resolutely.

"See you later," You say as you lock the door behind the departed visitors. "Come on - you can talk science with me." You say, steering him into the living room.

As you turned the lights off and folded the blanket back over the arm of the sofa you knew something was wrong when Kuroo wasn't talking about his day or asking about yours. You turned around to face him and he stood there, deep in thought running a hand through his wild hair.

"Tetsu? What's wrong?" You asked as you stepped closer to him.

He ran his hands down his face tiredly, but he didn't make a move to go to bed. "I think we should try again." He whispers, meeting your eyes.

"Are you sure?" You whisper back, suddenly afraid to speak louder.

"Every time I see you babysit her it's like I'm seeing a ghost. For just a moment I think she's _our_ daughter when I see you together and I can't describe how happy it makes me, even for a split second. If you're not ready to try again it's okay ... I can wait for you I just- I think I've come to terms with it now ... And I want a second chance at having a family." He had slowly stepped closer as he talked, coming to stand before you in the room lit by only the light coming from the hallway. He held your hand gently as if he were afraid you would break.

"Please." He sighed, cupping your hands in his and reaching to kiss the ring on your left hand. "I'm ready when you are. I know you'll make a great mother."

"Tetsu- What if it goes wrong again?" You whisper back, curling up into his chest to avoid making eye contact.

"Well, then we’ll figure it out."

You don't say anything for a long while, just standing there in the silence being held by your husband. You nod, gently.

"Okay. Let's do it."


End file.
